Broom or mop handle connection



Sept. 18, 1956 K. I. STRAND BROOM OR MOP HANDLE CCNNECTION Filed Dec. 28, 1953 KARL STRAND Z'hwentor (Ittorneg United States Patent O BROOM R MOP HANDLE CONNECTION Karl I. Strand, Huntington Park, vCalif. Application December 28, 1953, Serial No. 400,447 3 Claims. (Cl. 306-17) This invention relates to a connection between the handle and the head of a mop or broom and is a continuation-in-part of my pending application, filed October 5, 1953, Serial No. 384,063, and now abandoned.

An object of the present invention is to provide means enabling mutual universal adjustability in the disposition and angle between the handle and the head of a mop or broom. Therefore, the invention is characterized by a connection that improves maneuverability of a mop or broom in corners or other restricted places, such as beneath tables, desks, sofas, etc.

Another object of the invention is to provide a mop handle connection that enables swinging or pivotal movement of the handle in two transverse planes, thereby providing for universal positioning of said handle relative to the mop or broom head.

A further object of the invention is to provide a con nection of the character indicated that embodies means to lock the handle against movement in one of the mentioned planes.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a connection, as above indicated, with releasable lock means enabling fixed angular adjustment of the handle in a plane transverse to the length of a mop or broom head, and separate releasable means to lock the handle only in a position normal to the broom or mop head.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes, one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a front elevational view, the handle being broken away, of a mop provided with the present handle and head connecting means.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged front view of the connection shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a similarly enlarged side view of said connection, the view being taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the handle 5 is a conventional elongated member for manipulating the mop head 6. The latter is also of conventional form and may be twelve to twenty-four inches long, as is usual for such devices. In the usual mop construction, said handle is afiixed to the back 7 of the mop head intermediate the ends of the latter so that the handle extends at a fixed angle from said back. In the present case, a connection 8 interconnects said handle and mop head.

It will be understood that said mop head, per se, forms no part of this invention and the same may be a 2,763,517 Patented Sept. 13, 1956 broom head. Thus, the term mop, intended to include broom.

The connection 8 comprises, generally, a bracket 9 connected to the back 7 of the mop head 6, a ferrule 10 connected to the handle 5, a member 11 interconnecting said ferrule to provide transverse pivots enabling angular universal positioning of handle 5 relative to the mop head, lock means 12 to lock the ferrule 10 to the member 11 and, thereby, lock the handle against pivotal movement relative to said member, and an adjustable lock means 13 to lock member 11 at a desired angle to the mop head.

The bracket 9 comprises a mounting plate 14 that is adapted to have fiat engagement with back 7 of the mop and be aflixed thereto as by means of bolts 15. Integrally on said plate 14 there is provided an ear 16 that is disposed in a plane transverse to the length of plate 14 and of mop head back 7.

The ferrule 10 comprises a socket 17 or other comparable portion receptive of the end of handle 5 and is adapted, in various ways, to be affixed to said handle. In this case, a bolt 18 extending transversely through the socket and handle is shown for this purpose. An car 19, similar to ear 16, is integrally provided on the end of said socket 17.

The member 11 is provided with two oppositely directed end bifurcations 20 and 21 arranged to be in transverse planes. The bifurcation 20 is defined between walls 22 and the bifurcation 21 between walls 23. Said bifurcations, respectively, are receptive of ears 16 and 19. The ear 16 and walls 22 are provided with aligned holes for a pivot bolt 24, and ear 19 and walls 23 are provided with similar aligned holes for a pivot bolt 25.

The bolts 24 and 25 are preferably stove bolts that have square portions 36 adjacent their heads 37. Accordingly, the walls 22 and 23, in which said square portions enter, are provided with square holes to accommodate said portions. By providing for a tap fit between said square portions and the square holes in which fitted, endwise dislodgement of bolts 24 and 2:5 is obviated to minimize loss of said bolts.

Since. bolt 24 extends transverse to fixed ear 16 and is longitudinal with the mop back 7, the member 11 can swing or pivot in a plane transverse to said back. Since bolt 25 is transverse to bolt 24, the handle 5 can swing or pivot, relative to member 11, in a plane transverse to the plane of pivot of said member. Such compound pivotal movement provides for universal adjustability of the handle while manipulating the mop in confined places where it would be either difficult or not possible to reach .with conventional mops. Itwill be realized that the mop head 6 can be retained in its flat fioor-engaging position in restricted places-a feature that cannot be obtained with prior structures.

When the mop is used in straight position, as when mopping a corridor, the lateral pivot of the handle on bolt 25 is nullified bythe means 12 which comprises a slideway 26 formed in the front face of member 11, a slide 27 in said slideway, and a recess 28 provided in handle ferrule 10. The pivot bolt 25 extends through a slot 29 in slide 27 which, therefore, can be retracted or projected into recess 28, as shown. Nut 30 on said bolt 25 is used to lock the slide in the position desired.

The adjustable lock means 13 is shown as comprising a set of radially arranged and laterally directed clutch projections 31, a clutch plate 32 having recesses 33 adapted to receive said projections, and a nut 34 to lock said plate or to release the same, as desired.

As shown, the projections 31 are provided on an outer face of one wall 22 of bifurcation 20 and are arranged around bolt 24 extending through said wall. The clutch plate is arranged to be laterally movable and is held as used herein, is

3 against rotation by engagement of its fiat edge 35 with the top face of bracket plate 14. The nut 34 is threaded onto bolt 24 and, when drawn up, locks clutch plate 32 against projections 31. Therefore, the handle 5 may be locked in a position normal to the plane of the mop head 6, at an angle thereto, as shown by the dot-dash lines of Fig. 3, or parallel to the plane of said mop head but extending transversely to thelength *thereof. When the nut 34 is backed off, the taper provided in clutch teeth 31 will :act to laterally displace the clutch plate so that the handle may freely pivot around'bolt 24.

It will be noted that nut 34 cannot be removed from bolt 24 while said bolt is in its normal position, as shown, because the back-off movement of said nut is limited by the bolt 15 on-that side of bracket 9. Thus, nut 37 cannot become lost.

When both locks lland 13 are retracted or loosened, both transverse pivots are freed and universal movement of the mop head relative to the handle is obtained. When lock '12 is projected to lock the handle to member 11, tl1e head 6 has a sw'ivelable movement relative to the handle, as shown by the dot-dash lines of Fig. 3. When lock 13 is tightened and lock 12 released, the handle can be swung as suggested in Fig. 1. When both locks are'used with the handle in the full line position of Fig. 3, the mop or broom may be used for sweeping ceilings because the mop head is held normal to the handle and can be applied fiatw-ise.

The absence of springs that may become lost or broken is to 'be noted-a feature much to be desired in this type of device.

While I have illustrated and described what I .now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out my invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall-within the scope of the appended claims.

Havingthus described the invention, what :I claim and desire to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. An adjustable connector for a mop structure having'a head and handle comprising a ferrule adapted to fit the end of said handle, said ferrule terminating in a first car; a one piece member having a first bifurcation fitting over twosides of-said ear; latch means comprising a slidable lock-plate for interlockingsaid ferrule and said first bifurcation when it is in an extended position; a first pivot bolt extending through the first bifurcation, the first'ear, an d'a slot in thelocking plate, the longitudinal axis of said bolt being perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the ferrule to, thereby, permit said handle to be pivoted on said boltwhen the locking plate is in a retracted position; said onepiece member having a second bifurcation; a second ear having one end fitting into said second bifurcation and-having its other end terminating in a flat plate for'boltingsaid ear to the head of a mop; clutch means on an outer face of said second bifurcation, said means comprising radial projections and a clutch plate having radial recesses for said radial projections, said plate having a shoulder abutting said rectangular plate for preventing the rotation of the plate; and a second pivot bolt extending through said second car, said second bifurcation, and said clutch plate, said second bolt having its axis perpendicular to the axis of said first bolt, whereby said mop head may be positioned in a plurality of angular positions with respect to said handle.

2. An adjustable connector for a mop handle comprising a fiat base plate adapted to be rigidly connected to the head of a mop, an upstanding first ear constituting a part of said base plate, a one piece member having a first bifurcation fitting over said first ear, one of the outer surfaces of said first bifurcation being provided with radially disposed projecting ribs; a clutch plate having corresponding recesses for interlocking engagement with 'said ribs, said plate having a flat surface abutting against the adjacent surface of said base plate for preventing the rotation of said clutch plate with respect to said base plate; a pivot bolt extending through said first ear, said'bifurcation and said clutch plate, said bolt having a wing-nut for locking said one piece member in'a plurality of angular positions with respect to'said base p'late; said one piece member having asecond bifurcation transverse and perpendicular to said first bifurcation;-a second ear fitting into said second bifurcation, said second car having a ferrule adaptedto be connected to "a mop handle; a slidable lock plate slidable within recesses in said second bifurcation and said ferrule, said plate being slidable between -extended and retracted positionsyand -a second pivot bolt passing through said second bifurcation, said second car, and a slot in saidplate, said bolt being adapted to lock said lock plate-in its extended position for-interlocking said ferrule and said second-bifurcation and thereby preventing the rotation of-s'aid second ear within said second bifurcation.

3. An adjustable connector for a mop handle as defined'in claim 2 in which said recesses are positioned to interlock said second ear at a mid-point position'within said second bifurcation.

References Cited-in the file of'this patent UNlT ED STATES PATENTS 31,134,915 Severns Apr. 6, "1915 1,563,745 Hillyard Dec. 1, 19.25 1,787,970 Bertola s o Jan. '6, .1931 2,035,411 Udell Mar. 24, 1936 12,063,242 Graser Dec. 8, 1936 2,169,557 Curtiss Aug. 15, 1939 2,407,421 Herold Sept. 10, .1946 2,540,579 'Hanner .Feb. 6, 1951 2,655,413 Russell l Oct. 13, 1 953 

